Overall renovation old townhouses, Münsterhof Zurich, 2012

• Building: Old townhouses integrally listed
• Year of construction: Starting at 1300
• Client: Private
• Assignment: Overall renovation with floor plan adaptation and lift installation
• Services: Planning and realization
• Project handling: Christine Hotz Steinemann, Luz Rigendinger
• Collaboration: Oppliger Baumanagement AG, Gläser Wogg AG

The townhouses are part of a square perimeter development around the Münsterhof and belong to the high medieval old town of Zurich. In accordance with the historical and urban significance of the houses, their scope of protection is comprehensive. In accordance with this initial situation, the interventions in the existing substance will be very targeted and minimal. The building project is intended to create new residential space in the city centre. To this end, the spaces that have been used mainly for office and commercial purposes will be equipped with additional infrastructure. An elevator and several wet rooms must find their place in the historic structure.  For reasons of sound insulation and preservation of historical monuments, the interfaces between the existing and new buildings will be minimized in terms of construction. The largest structural interventions, the lift installation and the wet cells are self-supporting constructions. The other adaptations will be built in lightweight construction. The preservation of the existing atmospheric surfaces and the use of high-quality and robust materials for the new building components correspond to the high standard of the newly created apartments.

Photography: Stefan Jäggi